| <<<home page |
Brookline Carmel Bulletin J M J T
January 31, 1960
Cogitatio Sancta
(Holy
Meditation)
The Struggle for
Perfection
(Part 5)
Speaking of the task of subjecting the lower faculties of our intellect
and will, we have discussed various methods, which may be effective – the direct
command, persuasion in one form or another, deliberate control of
our external movements. It is
also possible, and at times necessary, to use what we might call the distractive
method. This consists in deliberately
turning our attention away from some undesirable reaction within
ourselves. The ideal way of doing this
is to raise one’s mind directly to God, by what St. John of the Cross calls
anagogical acts. The soul that is not
yet perfect, however, should not disdain to use other means as well, as the
situation requires. If it cannot yet
free itself from temptations by raising its attention directly to God, it must
use a less direct route, i.e., it must turn first to some other creature and
use that as a springboard to go to God.
We must detach ourselves from creatures insofar as they hinder us from
going to God; but we must not forget that creatures, if rightly used, can be of
help to us in reaching Him.
When the lower faculties are preoccupied with some unsavory reaction, this
undesirable preoccupation can often be broken by deliberately turning one’s
attention to his immediate surroundings.
If the external senses are put to work in this way, the internal senses
and emotions receive less attention and, at the same time, are being drawn away
from the internal conflict by the external activity. The tendency to brood too long over difficulties and trials
should be discouraged, if necessary, by interrupting one’s thought at
intervals, thus giving the mind some refreshing diversion. Fortunately, in our modern world, it is
usually not hard to find something to distract one’s thought. (The danger is more often that one may be
too constantly distracted.) Certain
wholesome interests and hobbies (not too many!) can serve as the springboard –
the intermediate step we use to rise to God.
The formulas to be applied are thus, either (1) distract oneself from
the undesirable reaction by turning one’s mind directly to God, or, this
failing, (2) distract oneself from the undesirable reaction by turning the
attention to some interesting creature and thence to God.
A somewhat lengthy quotation from the Spiritual sayings of St. John of the Cross (Peers, vol. III, pp. 289-291) will set forth his teaching on this subject. “When we feel the first movement or attack of any vice, … as soon as we are conscious of it, we should meet it with an act or movement of anagogical love directed against this vice, and should raise our affection to union with God, for by this means the soul absents itself from its surroundings and is present with its God and becomes united with Him, and then the vice or the temptation and the enemy are defrauded of their intent, and have nowhere to strike; for the soul, being where it loves rather than where it lives, has met the temptation with divine aid, and the enemy has found nowhere to strike and nothing whereon to lay hold, for the soul is no longer where the temptation or enemy would have struck and wounded it… As these loving and anagogical movements raise the soul to so high and sublime a state, their truest effect upon the soul is to make it forget all things other than its Beloved, Who is Jesus Christ. Hence, when it is united with its God and in converse with Him, it finds that no temptations can wound it, since they cannot rise to that place whither the soul has risen or to which God has raised it… Here attention must be paid to beginners, whose anagogical or loving acts are not so ready, quick or fervent as to enable them to absent themselves entirely from their surroundings and unite themselves with the Spouse. If they find that, on making this anagogical act, they do not completely forget the vicious movement of the temptation, they should not fail to take advantage of all possible weapons and considerations in order to resist it, until they vanquish the temptation completely. And the way wherein they must resist and vanquish it will be this. First let them resist it with the most fervent anagogical movements whereof they are capable, and let them perform and practice these many times; and, if these suffice not (for the temptation is strong and they are weak), let them then use all the weapons (namely, good meditations and exercises) that they find necessary for this resistance and victory… This method of resistance is excellent and sure, since it includes within itself all the crafts of war which are both important and necessary.”
| <<<home page |
* * * * * * * * * *
MISSION STATEMENT: This web site was created for the purpose of completing the work of Fr. Bruno Cocuzzi, O.C.D These conferences may be reproduced for private use only. Publication of this material is forbidden without permission of the Father Provincial for the Discalced Carmelites, Holy Hill, 1525 Carmel Rd., Hubertus, WI 53033-9770.